Junior's Restaurant Review

: Locals joke that the joy of living in Colchester is its proximity to Vermont. With Junior's, the busy Burlington suburb boasts an authentic, New York-style Italiano, only minutes from quiet farmland. Its late patriarch, Frank Salese, Sr., gazes from a photograph over the Tuscan décor, as guests sip Sangiovese and munch on house-made breadsticks. Heaping plates of lightly dusted, flavorful calamari are sized to share, and you could do worse than the traditional caprese salad. Don't miss the kitchen's crispy eggplant rollatine; thinly breaded slices wrapped around ricotta --- they're even better the next day. Or our favorite: Penny's pink pesto pasta --- redolent of fresh basil and pine nuts, the capellini dish marries red sauce with a dollop of cream. Add tender, pan-seared scallops for a memorable meal. Best of all, the on-site bakery is a pastry paradise, tempting diners with treats like fresh sfogliatelle, crunchy cannoli and rich tiramisu. Prices have grown, but so has the dining room, which makes it easier than ever to score a table for the whole family.